Oct

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Kobe Says He Wants To Bring Lakers Back To Championship

Posted by Jeff Sack under Main 

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Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant told the media on Monday that his trade demands were a thing of the past, and that his number one priority was bringing a NBA Championship title back to the city of Los Angeles. Bryant spoke as the Lakers held their annual Media?Day as NBA Training Camps got underway all across the nation. For Bryant it was a chance for him to repair relationships with teammates and fans whom he may have alienated over a rather bizarre Summer.

Bryant started the controversy back in June when in an interview with Steven?A. Smith on ESPN Radio, he said that he wanted out of Los Angeles. He told Smith that he could not foresee any circumstances which would cause him to change his mind. A few hours later Bryant was again on the radio this time with the Lakers Los?Angeles flagship station. He told his interviewer that that he had just gotten off the phone with L.A. coach Phil Jackson, and that Jackson had assured him that things would be worked out to Bryant’s satisfaction. He also told the talk show host that he loved Los Angeles, never wanted to leave but he was frustrated with the team’s early exit in the Post Season.

The?”Honeymoon” period did?not last for long as within weeks, Bryant was telling anybody and everybody that the Lakers and he were heading in different directions. He said the team was in a rebuilding mode, and that he wanted to win now. He demanded a trade, and started recounting stories allegedly about a deal that could have been made but was not. The alleged proposed trade would have given the Lakers the New Jersey Nets point guard?Jason Kidd in return for a host of Los Angeles players including center Andrew Bynum. Reportedly, Los Angeles owner Jerry Buss refused to sign off on the deal which angered Bryant. Bryant could not understand that the Lakers would have hesitated to trade Bynum to acquire Kidd one of the NBA’s top point guards.

Bryant however was a model player during the FIBA Americas Championship?Tournament held in Las Vegas. Whether it was the influence of his teammates, or Team USA head?coach Mike Krzyzewski, Bryant played the most unselfish team oriented?basketball that this longtime NBA observer had ever seen him exhibit. It may have been a turning point in his career.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson on Monday said that Bryant’s comments were made in?June? and this was now October. He said the team was looking forward not back. Bynum said that he was not at all offended by Bryant’s comments and was pleased that Bryant wanted to stay. After the FIBA Tournament, I wrote a feature on the maturity that Bryant had shown with Team USA and pondered whether it was indicative of a change in attitude. Judging by what we witnessed on Monday I would say so far the answer would be yes.??

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